“Global People of Yanmar: The Netherlands Series, Volume 4” covers the life of a Yanmar employee assigned to a post abroad. In this last volume of the Netherlands series, we will look at Yanmar’s business in Europe. How are Yanmar’s products used in the expansive sea and the vast land? We also ask Mr. Hironaka about his outlook.
Kentaro Hironaka
Affiliated to Yanmar Europe B.V. (Yanmar Europe) and Yanmar Marine International. B.V. (Yanmar Marine International)
Appointed as of May 2017. At Yanmar Europe, he is in charge of supplying service parts for all products handled by Yanmar and at Yanmar Marine International, he is engaged in marketing activities related to components of ship engines.
In the Netherlands, Yanmar is famous for marine pleasure!
In the field of marine pleasure, the engines and drives for boats handled by Yanmar Marine International are quite well know, even within Europe. Yanmar is one of the first names that come to mind when people think about engines for marine pleasure. However, it is not only products visible to everyone such as engines. The field of marine pleasure is very popular abroad, so I often experience firsthand that we are doing business in a very competitive environment.
In Japan, engines are manufactured for a variety of uses. Yanmar Marine International in the Netherlands takes these engines and makes them fit for use at sea by mounting marine gear such as clutches or drives.
Why is Yanmar’s marine pleasure business so well known?
It’s unimaginable in Japan, but Europe has a long history of people enjoying life on boats or yachts. In Japan, people set out to sea to go fishing. In Europe, boats are most often used for leisure purposes such as cruising or sailing. It really is just like the movies where you often see people are having a relaxed time on a boat at sea.
the products are developed from the point of view of professional use.
I think the reasons for Yanmar’s recognition in such an environment are the company’s long history, but also the fact that the products are developed from the point of view of professional use. If you take engines, for example, even if they are similar to other manufacturer’s engines, a professional will clearly notice several differences when using them. These are only small differences such as better fuel efficiency or a lighter weight, but they make the engine more suitable for use on a boat. Yanmar has a reputation for “lighter, more fuel efficient and quieter engines” compared with other manufacturers.
A luxury yacht equipped with kitchen, bedroom, toilet and living room worth more than 700,000 Euros! Here, we had a special chance to see an actual Yanmar boat engine for marine pleasure use.
Future outlook and expectations for work in the Netherlands.
Although Yanmar’s marine pleasure is well known in Europe, what I have noticed since starting this job is that other Yanmar engines and agricultural equipment or construction machinery are not as well known.
Back in Japan, some people remembered the “Yanboh & Marboh” weather forecast or knew Yanmar as the owner of Cerezo Osaka football club. However, abroad, Yanmar is not as widely known as in Japan. In Japan, Yanmar can look back on a history dating as far back as 1912, Yanmar Europe B.V. in the Netherlands was only founded and launched on a full scale in 1989, not even 30 years ago. It’s still a young company, but the expectations placed in the after-sales service for Yanmar products in the mature markets of Europe and the US are high and it is a very valuable experience to realize these demands and to operate so close to our customers.
I would like to continue to offer great after-sales services to our customers and further strengthen the Yanmar brand in Europe.
Already known in Europe for its extensive service capabilities, Mr. Hironaka is striving to extend the brand recognition of Yanmar to its wide range of reliable products. It seems that through his work in the Netherlands, Mr. Hironaka’s various experiences with people, the culture and food have contributed to his “fulfilling life” here!
Articles
【Global People of Yanmar: The Netherlands Series, Volume 1】 Expatriate Life beginning in the 30s
【Global People of Yanmar: The Netherlands Series, Volume 2】 Work-life balance in the Netherlands
【Global People of Yanmar: The Netherlands Series, Volume 3】 The food culture of the Netherlands is not as different from Japanese food culture as you might think!
【Global People of Yanmar: The Netherlands Series, Volume 4】 In the Netherlands, Yanmar is famous for ●●●!